Weekly media wrap - 21 December 2015

Whistleblower Major General Paween Pongsirin has been urged to return to Thailand to pursue allegations of human trafficking against government officials. Pongsirin sought asylum in Australia after he received threats for uncovering alleged government links to the trafficking of Rohingya refugees.

Guardian Australia obtained 700 pages of Fazel Chegeni’s immigration department file, refugee who died in November on Christmas Island. Mr Chegani was detained for more than three years of the four he spent in Australia. Elsewhere in the detention network, 16 asylum seekers are on hunger strike in Darwin.

Angela Merkel signaled Germany will reduce its future refugee intake. Mrs Merkel has been subject to domestic political pressure after Germany registered approximately one million asylum seekers in 2015.

European leaders met to discuss a proposal to create a EU border and coastguard to address the ongoing flow of refugees and asylum seekers into the region. The meeting also provided a setting to discuss refugee quotas amongst the region.

Weekly media wrap - 10 November 2015

Refugee Fazel Chegeni was found dead two days after escaping the immigration detention centre on Christmas Island. Mr Chegeni, who was granted refugee status in 2013, reportedly attempted suicide several times in the weeks leading up to his escape. The cause of Mr Chegeni’s death, whose body was found at the bottom of cliffs on Christmas Island, has not been determined.  Greens MP Adam Bandt called for “a full and independent inquiry” into the incident.  Peter Dutton said he believed there were “no suspicious circumstances in relation to the death”.

Following reports of the death, unrest broke out at the Christmas Island detention centre.  Guards were withdrawn, citing safety reasons after detainees lit fires and knocked down walls. Immigration Minister Peter Dutton described tension between detainees and guards as a “stand off”..

The Australian government is reportedly considering Kyrgyzstan as a resettlement option for up to 1,500 refugees currently detained in offshore detention.  The plan to send refugees to the Central Asian republic, a country criticised for its human rights abuses, received widespread condemnation, with Greens leader Richard Di Natale describing the policy as “ridiculous”.

Following a visit to the world’s second largest refugee camp, Zaatari, Peter Dutton announced $44 million to supply refugees in the Middle East with survival items, including food and water.  Dutton’s visit to the camp reinforced his belief in the government’s boat turn-back policy, arguing that “a tough border policy in Australia means that we can offer a helping hand and a new life to those Syrians”. 

Mr Dutton stated that, in addition to the intake of 12,000 Syrian refugees announced in September, further humanitarian visas may be offered if Australia can “first demonstrate that [it] can bring the 12,000 across”.  Greens MP Adam Bandt welcomed the move but urged the government to consider resettling Syrians and Iraqis currently detained in offshore detention facilities.

Internationally, the first asylum seekers were relocated from Greece to Luxembourg in an EU program that aims to resettled at least 160,000 asylum seekers from Greece and Italy to participating EU countries. 

Read the Kaldor Centre's weekly news roundup.

Weekly media wrap 3 August 2015

A male Afghan asylum seeker died in a West Australian detention centre during the week. The circumstances of his death are unclear. A spokesperson for the Department of Immigration and Border Protection said there was no indication of suspicious circumstances, though a fellow detainee said the man had been denied medical care.

A group of 46 Vietnamese asylum seekers were reportedly flown back to Vietnam. The asylum seekers reached the West Australian coast on 20 July 2015. The Australian Government refused to confirm the transfer or provide any information.

Asylum seekers on Manus Island whose claims have been rejected face imminent deportation according to documents obtained by the ABC. Australian authorities have not yet returned three former Manus Island Detention Centre workers to Papua New Guinea to face accusations of rape. Local police did not follow through on a threat to storm the detention centre and arrest its management if the men were not returned by Thursday evening.

Weekly media round-up No. 43

Refugee week activities relating to the theme of ‘Restoring Hope’ raised awareness around issues affecting refugees. In 2013, there were with 51.2 million people displaced worldwide, six million more than in 2012. Over the same period, applications for asylum in Australia dropped by over 50%.

The High Court found that the Minister for Immigration does not have power to limit the number of resettlement visas issued within a specific financial year. In response, the government will seek to reintroduce Temporary Protection Visas, a move that relies on the support of Labor and the Greens in order to be passed in the Senate.

Immigration Minister Scott Morrison and the Prime Minister Tony Abbott declared that it has been six months since the last irregular maritime arrival. The announcement follows a High Court decision upholding the right of the government to designate another nation to operate as a regional processing country. 

The Labor party debated and ultimately rejected a motion to reverse its support for the offshore processing of asylum seekers.

Following a series of revelations relating to the conditions of child detainees, UNICEF called for an independent body to monitor and report on the treatment of children held in Australian immigration detention.

The average time spent by asylum seekers in detention hit a record high in April 2014. Meanwhile, the ABC reported that the government is offering up to $10,000 as an inducement for asylum seekers to leave offshore processing centres and return to their home nations. The government further refused to provide assurances to Iraqi asylum seekers that they will not be returned to Iraq, despite the ongoing instability in the region.

A second Tamil asylum seeker attempted to self-immolate and was saved by housemates in Melbourne’s east. The man, who arrived in Christmas Island in December 2012, is on a bridging visa awaiting a decision as to his refugee application. The attempt follows the death of asylum seeker Leo Seemanpillai by self-immolation on 31 May.

On Nauru, three pregnant asylum seekers were transferred to Australia requesting abortions due to the harsh conditions inside the detention centre.

Weekly media round-up No. 41

Tamil asylum seeker Leo Seemanpillai died after pouring petrol on himself and setting himself on fire in Geelong. Mr Seemanpillai lived in the community under a Temporary Protection Visa. Friends of Mr Seemanpillai linked his suicide to a fear of being deported to Sri Lanka. Immigration Minister Scott Morrison said no one was in a position to speculate about Mr Seemanpillai’s reason for self-immolation.

Guards ended a week-long protest at the Christmas Island Detention Centre where four detainees were admitted to hospital. Detainees said guards used excessive force to break up the protest. Minister Morrison attributed the injuries to ‘non-compliant behaviour’.

An employee at the Nauru Detention Centre was dismissed for allegedly sexually assaulting a child asylum seeker, in an event that raises concerns for children in offshore detention. A Nauruan magistrate handed down a two year and five month jail term to an asylum seeker involved in a riot at the Nauru Detention Centre in July 2013. The magistrate said the sentence was intended to deter other asylum seekers in Nauru considering similar action.

The Australian Immigration Department sent a letter to asylum seekers facing deportation stating that they had 14 days to outline how the accidental online publication of personal details –  including names, nationality and dates of birth – could impact their safety in their home country. The letter further indicated that if the recipient does not respond within the given timeframe they will be ‘expected to depart Australia and removal planning will be progressed’.

An annual poll conducted by the Lowy Institute showed 71 per cent of Australians support the Australian Government’s boat turn-back policy.  Treasurer Joe Hockey said in Parliament, ‘As a result of all the action of this Government, there are no children floating in the ocean between Australia and East Timor’.